Satellite Communication - next steps towards an all-IP world -

by Jörg Rockstroh WORK Microwave GmbH December 12-13, 2017

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Status Change

Service

User

Inner

Outer

Satcom Status

• Satcom is a traditional industry • consumer-based services challenging to renew

• majority of DTH still DVB-S

• consumer VSATs still DVB-S, or at least DVB-S2 CCM

• transport stream is the major transport layer

• HTS oversupply of Ka bandwidth • lack of business models to fill the carriers

• satellite operators move down the value chain

• disruptive developments still experimental (LEO) or limited (MEO)

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Satcom Status (cont'd)

• Hardware loses its viability as business model • general development in most electronics

• consolidation phase in manufacturing market

• movement towards service and/or software

• Service types are changing • FSS dropped in favour of VSAT in the first place

• with HTS some FSS comeback due to quality of service

• linear TV disappearing in the long run?

• satellite in the light of 5G?

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Need for Change

• Users • expect highspeed connectivity

• stop caring about tech, focus on design and UX instead

• often are not aware about the involvement of satellite

• Service types • linear TV declines in favour of interactive services

• broadcast and broadband will merge

• video and media always majority of traffic

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Need for Change (cont'd)

• Inner technology developments • digital revolution in electronics

• highspeed connectivity

• processing power

• Outer technology developments • learn from MEO constellation

• LEO constellations ... dreams vs. reality

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Services

• often work in the background • contribution and distribution of TV

• backhaul for mobile and internet

• connectivity for remote locations and maritime

• are affected by development of ground infrastructure • mobile connectivity

• fiber

• 5G

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Services (cont'd)

• will have to use the strength of satellite • immediate availability independent of location

• reach a large number of people

• not affected by ground based access restrictions (borders, ...)

• interconnect with other infrastructures • use of common protocols ... IP!

• add value, i.e. the broadcast of common content

• backup ground infrastructures

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Inner Technology

• development of digital technology drives communication electronics

• hardware structure becomes increasingly integrated and generic in design, with the 4 stages:

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IF Frontend ADC/DAC

FPGA or ASIC Signal Proc.

CPU Data Proc.

RF Conversion HPA

LNB/LNA

Inner Technology (cont'd)

• RF frontend becomes increasingly integrated

• IF stage becomes digital

• FPGA technologies and processor / software platforms develop independently from actual function

• higher performance and ressources for wider feature sets come as a side effect

• applicable to both ground segment and space segment elements

• result: software defined radio

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Inner Technology (cont'd)

• ongoing evolution only slowed down by requirements that can not be met with generic highspeed busses and platforms

• Transport Stream ... • specified in the pre-Internet era

• over ASI with real-time hardware requirements, which are not in line with SDR evolution

• It is possible to use IP within Transport Stream, and Transport Stream within IP ...

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Inner Technology (cont'd)

• over satellite with DVB-S2(X) IP can be transported natively

• still lots of connections use TS

• advice: TS for video, but use IP for generic transport

• IP easily blends in into other ecosystems

• make use of IP-based mechanisms that optimize video transport ... MPEG-DASH, DVB-DASH

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Inner Technology (cont'd)

• further thoughts on infrastructure changes • digital IF allows for flexibility of processing location

• cloud-based - or virtual - entities can manage more tasks towards transmission than before

• blurring of traditional frontiers between entities

• the satellite modem becomes more of a software service than a single device!

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Outer Technology

• non-GEO constellations in general • tracking antennas or phased arrays required

• satellite handover

• lower latency

• higher throughput with regards to power

• required routing flexibility only manageable with IP

• MEO flying, but services far from initial promise • mainly maritime services

• IFE fast growing market

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Outer Technology (cont'd)

• LEO constellations • a lot of announcements with huge amounts of satellites

• OneWeb (648...720) LeoSat (108) Telesat (75) SpaceX (4425) Samsung (4600) Boeing (2960) Kepler Comms (140) Theia (112) Spire Global (110)

• a couple of smaller ventures for specific purposes

• who will survive?

• Frequency spectrum and interference?

• Debris? Kessler syndrome ...

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Conclusion

• With merger of communication infrastructures, satellite rather contributes in the background than playing a standalone role

• That merger is going to be IP based

• As technologies become more accessible in a generic way (SDR), the frontiers between entities will disappear

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